Thursday, August 5

in honor of sharkweek

[reposted from April 16, 2009]

When I was 6 or 7 I was sent from Vermont to live with my English grandparents for the summer. In business terms this would be an "opportunity". It wasn't punishment, though I did have to go to school for a few weeks once I arrived. Long/short, Grandpa had a copy of Peter Benchley's Jaws. Fanfreekintastic if you have never read it. The skinny-dipping scene at the beginning where the girl gets chomped... in the book she reaches down and feel the crumbly stump of her leg... ooooh shivers. 70's fashion had not really polluted the Vineyard yet (Edgartown on Martha's Vineyard stood in for the book's fictional town Amity), and Jaws the motion picture is styled with a great mix of nautical/preppy standards with a wash of working gear. Have been thinking of this post for a while.

Khakis, norwegian sweater, sockless... and we only see this guy for about 30 seconds. Chief Brody has a Liberace-esque collection of Baracuta jackets.Love the mayor's go-to-hell blazer. Chappi' ferry for the win.Quint rolls with standard issue chambray shirt, wool jacket, tin cloth hat? His first mate (check the outtakes) killing it with the woody plaid and blaze cap.You can't bring your own fireworks to 4th of July weekend guy.. this ain't NH! This is Craig Kingsbury, an islander who helped Spielberg and Robert Shaw flesh out the Quint character. Swear that is a Carhartt on the left. Glint on the buttons... This scene is chock-a-block; matching twill behind, watchman's cap and calling Russell Athletic on Dreyfuss.Marled sweater, fishmonger's apron, home brew. "Here's to swimmin with bowlegged women."Dreyfuss looking cool for once. Narragansett. The 'crumple the cup' scene. The last 3 don't need captions... enjoy.

We lived and worked on the Vineyard one summer, so it is always a nostalgia trip to watch the in-town scenes. There is a great BBC documentary about the making of Jaws that was filmed 10 years ago (In the Teeth of Jaws, can't find a digital copy), it goes deep into the Quint character and Robert Shaw's portrayal. (Shaw reqested a house up-island, and would take a launch round to Edgartown or wherever each day... and summarily polish off a bottle of rum. Breakfast.)